


Golden Days

by Emmanem02



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Pre-Time Skip, Pre-War, Shorts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-17
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-20 07:49:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20671823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emmanem02/pseuds/Emmanem02
Summary: Funny bits, heartfelt conversations, dramatic lectures, fighting bullying, and other snapshot moments within Byleth's time as the professor of the Golden Deer House.





	Golden Days

\--Ethereal Moon--

  


Byleth rarely felt overwhelmed.

It's probably due to traveling her whole life; engaging in combat at any given moment. She can remember all of the times she felt nervous in her life. She could count them on one hand: her first battle with thieves at the age of 14, that time her father was wounded during a raid, when she was positioned to teach at the Officer's Academy just moons ago, and at this very moment. 

Manuela had been set on providing more unique lectures for the students on Sundays. Attendance was dropping as winter rolled around and students preferred to rest indoors or train to fight off the cold. 

"It's just so disappointing to plan a wonderful lecture and only have a couple of students attend." Manuela sighed as she stacked her papers. The Black Eagle classroom was dark and cold as Byleth listened to her colleague. The heat of the large fireplace on the wall could only spread so far. 

"The weather can drastically change a student's mindset," Byleth said. Her Golden Deer were more accustomed to the warmer climate of the Leicester Alliance. It took her a while to realize why her students weren't performing as well as they usually did. She noticed how Hylda would space out more than usual. Or how Lorenz appeared drowsy day after day. At first, she was surprised by her revelation, not because of the cause and effect, but by the fact that she was able to make such an observation. 

"That's a good point," Manuela said, "then those winter blues need to be snuffed out!"

Byleth smiled. Manuela may appear fixated on her looks and drinking, but deep down she truly cared for the growth of her students. It was always a treat to see that part of her shine through.

"Something to really pull them into a classroom..." Manuela considered. She turned towards the grand window behind her desk. The courtyards were empty and the grass was frosted over. The mountains surrounding the monastery held hats of snow on top of them. 

Manuela snapped her fingers. "Oh, I have an idea! Why don't you provide a lecture on being a mercenary?"

Byleth cocked her head to the side, "Not many of the students here want to become mercenaries." Many students planned to become knights for the church, or within their homelands-- unless they were of noble lineage.

"Right, but I constantly hear students asking you to tell stories about your adventures. You're very brief about it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you've become little miss popular around here! When they ask you to talk about yourself, they really want to hear from you. If they heard that Professor Byleth's lecture was going to be about her thrilling journies across Fodlan, the classroom would be packed!"

Byleth shook her head.

"Humble yourself all you like, but it would be a great opportunity for everyone involved." Manuela winked, "I'm signing you up for next week. It will be wonderful!"

  
  


Byleth began to feel a familiar sensation as she stood outside her classroom on a chilly Sunday afternoon. The room was packed with a crowd of people inside, students and staff alike chattered with one another, waiting for their professor. It was not a pleasant feeling. Her stomach lurched and her body stood stiff. She never experienced the feeling of a racing heart like everyone talks about. She felt like it was a kind of nervousness that was her own. A kind that only she herself felt. She couldn't tell if it was better or worse, to have a chest that felt hallow, or one that felt explosive.

It was the expectation of it all, she realized, that made her scared of messing up. She never thought of her life as a story that would be interesting to tell. The last thing she would want to do is bore a room full of people who had high standards for her lecture.

Still, Byleth did what she always did when she felt this way. She forced her body to move and get the job done. Silence fell over the crowd as she walked down the aisle to her desk. She took a deep breath and faced the crowd in front of her. Students shared seats and sat on the edges of the tables. Faculty lined the walls and many people sat on the floor in front of her. She could easily spot the colorful heads of her own students. If she were only speaking to them, she would have felt much more at ease.

Byleth spotted her father, Jeralt, leaning on the back of one of the columns towards the entrance, hiding himself no doubt. He had a habit of making sure he wasn’t hovering over her, yet still at a safe distance. A part of herself relaxed at the thought of his attendance. Taking time out of his day to see her teach.

"Good afternoon," She said. Trying to project so all could hear her. 

"Good afternoon," the students replied out of habit. The faculty and staff followed after.

Even now Byleth had not figured out what exactly she wanted to speak about. Several ideas sat in her mind, but she couldn't narrow it down. She wasn't used to talking about herself. So many people with expectations she can't understand or predict. That nervous feeling felt stronger.

She had never been relied on. She has never had a reputation. She is accustomed to following commands, not giving them. She can carry out tactics and orders seamlessly--and fight well. How did she even get herself in this situation? One minute she was on her way to the kingdom, and before she knew it a ragtag group of kids from the land out east was thrown into her arms. These young strangers looked to her for guidance and teaching. She dedicated her time to studying tactics and training with weapons she had never used before to do her job well. They began to trust her, ask her about her day, and go to her for advice with personal questions. For once she had to think about emotions. About how to help others. Somehow the advice she gave was good. Her students thanked her. They came back to her again and again. And she went to them. They grew comfortable around her, and she around them. Lysithea handed her sweets whenever she carried them in bulk (and she was not one to share), Raphael challenged her to a match of arm wrestling, Marianne smiled when she came near. Byleth never realized the change she had gone through in full picture like this. As shocking as it was, it felt natural. Like this is the person she wants to be.

She supposed any teacher would fall onto speaking about what everyone would want to hear. Perhaps they just want fun stories, or maybe the specifics of a mercenary’s day-to-day… 

Her eyes met with the emerald gaze of her house's leader. He looked back at his professor, sandwiched between Edelgard and Dimitri at the front desk to the right, with that same charismatic grin he always flashed. It was quite a contrast from the prince and princess’s irritated expressions. Her mind jumped to the memory of the smile that pulled her to that mysterious student: the boy whose smile didn’t reach his eyes. Byleth was taken aback by him at first--this time, his eyes finally did smile. His blank stare was now replaced by a look he has never given her before. It was sincere. 

It was a sight to behold, the leaders of this world sitting close to one another, attentive to learn.

What do they want to hear… but what do they _ need _to hear?

Byleth cleared her throat, “My name is Professor Byleth. I am headteacher of the Golden Deer House, and I have been a mercenary all my life…”

She rolled through the beginning of her story; her father is Jeralt the Bladebraker and she has traveled across all of Fodland. She shared her emotions and hard lessons learned from her first battles as a child. She told them about the time she, Jeralt, and their men battled five beasts at once in the mountains of Faerghus. The room erupted in laughter when she shared the time her and her father defeated a group of Brigands by dropping a beehive into their camp. 

It had gone well, and Byleth’s nervousness had completely disappeared. The crowd in front of her tuckered down from their laughter and looked and her to tell her next tale.

Byleth straightened her spine, “When you travel across all of Fodlan, you don’t see the borders that are drawn on our maps. No matter where you are in this land, towns are still towns. They must be protected as much as the next one. All thieves share the same goal. All battle cries have the same meaning. Children will still play in whatever streets they live in. Injustice and tragedy are found everywhere. Blood runs the same shade of red no matter where you spill it.”

She turned to the three children smushed together. To the three hearts that burn with different passions, but all hold the very future of this land. “Every side in every battle is convinced that they are fighting for what’s right. Thieves have their motivations, they may be blind by greed, lost on the wrong path, or they may have families to feed. Soldiers fight for their leaders. For their families. For their futures. That doesn’t change from one nation to the next.”

She stared down at the children before her. A refined woman with a passion behind her eyes that burns deep into her soul. A young man who strives to become a just and noble leader. And that boy… that boy who holds so much mystery within him. Who only reveals exactly what he wants you to see exactly when he wants you to see it. She knows that there is a treasure within him. He has the intelligence to prove it. He is not just like any heir, he has plans that are grander than what she can imagine.

“We all run on the same humanity that shapes the ideas of who we are, and what we fight for. In time and experience, it is formed and twisted to the unique people we become. You must decide what is right. You must decide what is right for others. You must decide how you are going to fight for it. For what’s right. Because you will find yourself with more dead souls on your hands than you will wish for. You will drive yourself deep into a destiny that you have carved for yourself. And when you meet moments of doubt and struggle, you will need to be able to fall back on the belief that you are fighting for what’s right.”

Her audience stood like statues. She could hear the winter breeze gently flow through the outside courtyard. Byleth couldn’t think of anything else she wanted to say.

“You are dismissed.”

The crowd slowly stood up out of their spots and shared glances with the people next to them. One by one they left. Several of Byleth’s colleagues went up to her to express their approval and praise. 

Manuela gave her a tight hug and laughed, “I told you it would be good.”

Catherine looked almost grateful, Seteth was still processing everything Byleth said, and Alois grew teary-eyed at the thought of Jeralt’s daughter speaking “such wisdom”. 

Byleth’s golden fawns broke threw the line of adults in a colorful flurry and huddled around their professor.

“Truly beautiful words, professor. A wonderful lesson for the nobility to learn from.” Lorenz smiled.

“I could’ve sworn you looked almost nervous, professor,” Ignatz said. 

“Are you kidding?” Claude interjected, “I didn’t expect any less from our very own Teach. Well, actually… I knew you were gonna share some valuable stuff, but not from such a poetic stance.”

Jeralt walked behind the students and cleared his throat. All at once they snapped their heads back, gave a quick farewell to their professor, and left the two alone.

“I’m shocked, really.” Jeralt said, “I don’t even know what to say. Don’t take this the wrong way but… I never knew you thought like that. I always thought you had fewer layers to yourself than you actually do.”

Byleth looked up at her father. She was also at a loss for words. Her and her father never spoke like this before. But it was nice.

“Seeing you up there… with that kind of emotion--you’ve always reminded me of your mother, in both small and big ways. But today… it was uncanny.”

He grabbed her shoulder like she’s always seen father’s do to their sons. It was a new connection she’d never experienced. She had never seen her father as emotional as he looked then, with gentle eyes and a kind smile. 

“I’m proud of you.”

With that, he turned and left Byleth with Claude, who was leaning against the wall patiently. Byleth stood awkwardly, she would rather have made that moment with her father more private if she knew he was there. 

Her student stood a bit different than he usually did. He wasn’t trying to take up more space or stand broader. He looked more personal--and dare she say, humble.

“Hey teach,” He started, “I didn’t know that you thought that way. About Fodlan’s borders and whatnot. I’m glad, really. I feel the same way.”

He told her about the prejudice he grew up enduring in his homeland. He told her about his struggles coming to Fodland, having to prove himself to be respected and heard. Yet his leadership is still questioned, even by his classmates. He told her about how his experiences have inspired him to strive to create a better world. His eyes lit up, brighter than whenever he would sceem or jest throughout these past months of teaching him. Byleth felt a mix of awe and pride as Claude finally opened himself to her--after months of small cracks of himself poured out in a steady stream, it felt like the floodgates had opened. 

“It may sound ridiculously naiive, or just damn near impossible, but just have to believe in a peaceful future free of divides. It’s nice to hear someone else have a vision of the world that doesn’t judge by titles or place of birth. I guess we have more in common than I originally thought. I’m glad to have you on my side.” Claude winked gave a soft grin as he turned towards the door. “Night, teach.”

“Claude,” Byleth called out as he stepped out of the classroom, “I doubt anything will impossible for you.”

He smiled again, glanced down at the ground and turned back around, disappearing from her view in the winter night. 

  



End file.
